[Diggers350] Social Cleansing Alert! Bristol's test case for corralling or kicking out travellers

Tony Gosling tony at cultureshop.org.uk
Wed Feb 11 02:33:38 GMT 2026 

Social Cleansing Alert! Bristol's test case for 
corralling and Band A council taxing travellers

https://tlio.org.uk/social-cleansing-bristol-travellers/

Nice to see the new edition of The Land but nowt 
about a chilling test case in Bristol, which 
other councils are hoping to run out across the country...

https://tlio.org.uk/?p=24547&preview=true

The Downs where this case is taking place is land 
owned by the slave trading Edward Colston 
society, the Merchant Venturers, who are 
corporate lawyers. This lot are also now hoping 
to charge all regular sports activities on The 
Downs such as frisbee groups for the use of the 
that open space. All derelict land in the city is being monetised.

Emacs!


Background: About 300 cara/vans on large discreet 
council and public land sites around the city 
(Gasworks, Lockleaze; Tramways in Brislington 
etc.) have been evicted over the last 2-3 years, 
leaving hundreds of travellers kerb-side. The 
housing crisis was thus launched onto the streets 
and arson attacks and graffiti death-threats have 
now increased to become almost a weekly occurrence.
These exact same sites are now being 'reopened' 
by Bristol City Council as steel-gated compounds 
or 'Meanwhile Sites' by the council. They have a 
water standpipe and travellers are expected to 
pay £1,700 a year in rent to the council plus 
from April £2,000 Band A council tax too to live 
on a council CCTV surveilled, ID spot checked 
site, which van dwellers used to happily self-manage, and live on for free.
Much of the news coverage ignores all this 
blatant act of 'social cleansing' because the 500 
or so who are being forced out of the city by the 
council flytipping enforcement team, have no 
money, and no legal representation.

The Spectator: A day with Bristol’s van dwellers
https://archive.is/PNV6h

Bristol's Merchant Venturers documentary HTV West 
Eye View (1995) Cabot Colston Mafia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVAq1YRK0RI

We are the ones to protect the Downs say Merchant Venturers
The Society of Merchant Venturers have defended 
the status quo, pointing out that most of it is 
their land, and is only open to the public because of the 1861 Act.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/ones-protect-downs-say-merchant-9628982

Personal trainers could be charged £2,600 to use the Downs
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/personal-trainers-could-charged-2600-10634391

Trial date set as Downs 'van dwellers' saga nears an end
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/trial-date-set-downs-van-10797139
About 45 vehicles remained parked on roads 
surrounding the park in north Bristol (down from 150 early in 2025)
Bristol City Council is set for a court showdown 
as it moves to permanently ban people living in 
vehicles from the roads around the Downs.
In November, the council said it would seek to 
move people on from the Downs after designating 
the group of vehicles there as a ‘high impact’ 
site, due to what the council said was evidence 
of people using the area as a toilet.
Nonetheless, about 45 vehicles remain parked on 
roads along the outside of the green space in 
leafy north Bristol. At its peak, the Downs 
‘encampment’ consisted of about 150 vehicles.
Now, a trial date has been set where the council 
will apply to have vehicles permanently barred from the area.
Maths teacher claimed to be a naturist after 
pubgoers reported him walking naked in residential area
Long-awaited Odeon Cinema opens at Cabot Circus next week with £4 ticket offer
At the trial, on April 16, the council will apply 
for a possession order for the roads, allowing 
them to evict people living in vehicles there, 
and then an injunction to prevent them from 
returning have the vehicles still occupying roads 
along the perimeter of the Downs.
The court hearing will allow people on both sides 
of the debate to have their say; the council has 
until February 26 to publish a map detailing the 
proposed new exclusion zone, along with details 
of how people can take part in the court case.
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At a brief hearing outlining next steps in the 
long-running saga at Bristol Civil Justice Court 
on Thursday (February 5), the court heard from 
both critics and supporters of people living in vehicles.
Alan Jenkinson, appearing on behalf of Protect 
The Downs – a group of locals who have waged a 
long campaign against the so-called van dwellers 
– said he wanted the scope of the proposed 
injunction to be extended to include other roads in the area.
“We support the council’s application,” he said. 
“I would implore the court to extend the broad 
nature of the injunction to other roads.
“We know from our experience and we’ve got 
substantial evidence to prove the danger to the 
public of allowing inhabitations on the roads.
“(The vehicles pose a) real risk and threat to the community in the area.”
Although the council has repeatedly promised to 
engage with the people still living in vehicles 
in the area to better understand their 
circumstances, there is limited evidence to suggest they have done so.
Gerard Winstanley, from the Bristol Housing 
Action Movement group, said more needed to be 
done to make sure people living in vehicles in 
the area had their say on their future.
“We’ve had virtually no representation whatsoever 
from the people who are targeted by this exclusion order,” he said.
“There are roughly 45 vehicles in the area. As 
part of our submission, what I’d just ask is that 
there’s more deliberate publicity given to the 
times and dates that these orders are being 
sought so that people can at least find out what 
the council intends to do and when.”
Article continues below
Mr Winstanley said BHAM would seek to be included 
as a party acting against the council in April’s trial.
The council will also apply to extend a separate 
injunction which currently bars people from 
parking on the grass itself. That injunction is due to expire on July 25.
Robin Denford, appearing on behalf of the 
council, said:“The injunction that has been 
granted already has worked extremely well,” 
citing the example of one trespasser who had been 
dealt with without any issues in January.
The Downs encampment represents a small 
percentage of the total number of vehicles being 
used as homes around Bristol, about 600 according 
to the council's last estimate.
April's trial is scheduled to last two days. 
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